This invention relates in general to vacuum producing apparatus and deals more particularly with improvements in heavy duty apparatus for use in industrial and commercial vacuum systems.
Apparatus of the type with which the present invention is concerned generally includes a cyclonic bag separator having a cylindrical housing including an air inlet for connection to an associated vacuum system and an air outlet connected to a multi-stage blower or the like for evacuating air from the separator. The air inlet is usually connected to the separator housing to direct air into the housing along a path generally tangent to the cylindrical interior surface of the housing. Air enters the separator at relatively high velocity causing sand, grit or other abrasive material entrained in the entering air to impinge upon and abrade the inner surface of the housing wall. In a vacuum system used to move air likely to contain relatively large amounts of sand, grit or other abrasive materials, such as may be encountered in a vacuum cleaning system for a car wash or the like, damage to the housing may result, requiring repair or housing replacement. To compensate for this wear condition, it may be necessary to construct the separator housing from relatively heavy gauge material or, alternatively, to reinforce it in the regions of greatest wear, which adds substantially to the cost of manufacturing the apparatus.
In an installation of the type with which the present invention is concerned, the blower operates in an axially horizontal position, air being discharged from the blower housing through a vertically upwardly extending discharge conduit which may be conveniently fitted with a silencer where quiet operation is required. However, such a vertical exhaust arrangement necessitates a weather cap or other means to prevent rain or snow from entering the blower housing, which adds further to the cost of manufacture.
It is the general aim of the present invention to provide an improved vacuum producing apparatus of the aforedescribed type which substantially eliminates separator housing wear when the apparatus is operated in a hostile environment and which may be produced at a reduced cost without sacrifice of operational efficiency.